Hydro celebrates the expansion & relocation of HATC to Cassopolis, enhancing R&D in aluminium products

On October 2, the Norwegian aluminium giant celebrated the expansion and relocation of its Hydro Aluminum Technology Centre (HATC) from Zeeland, Michigan, to Cassopolis, Michigan. This newly expanded facility, situated next to the cutting-edge aluminium recycling plant that Hydro inaugurated in November of last year, enhances the company's R&D capabilities.

About Hydro Aluminum Technology Centre (HATC)

The centre brings together experts focused on delivering innovative aluminium products across various sectors, including automotive, transportation, consumer products, and building systems. The new technology centre enables Hydro to continue meeting the increasing demand for low-carbon aluminium products in the U.S. by providing the necessary technical resources.

The centre also features a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped for advanced testing of mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and metallurgical investigations. Its updated design enhances process flow and improves safety conditions for employees. Sharing the same administration building, the technology centre and the recycling plant promote closer collaboration among operators, engineers, technical staff, and R&D teams. This setup will benefit not only Cassopolis but also Hydro's recycling plants in Henderson, Kentucky, and Commerce, Texas.

Accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, HATC is the sole testing laboratory within the Hydro system that offers third-party certified testing for strength, corrosion resistance, and other aluminium performance metrics. Alongside HATC, Hydro also operates a technology centre in Troy, Michigan, which supports the company's extrusion plants across North America.

"Our technical resources have been instrumental in our success and growth in the U.S. for many years. Having this best-in-class technology centre next to our newest recycling plant in Cassopolis will strengthen our ability to deliver on our future growth plans at Cassopolis and throughout the U.S.," said Duncan Pitchford, President of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA.

HATC provides essential performance data testing

As a key component of Hydro's global network of laboratories and R&D centres, the Hydro Aluminum Technology Center (HATC) in Michigan is crucial in providing essential performance testing data. This supports Hydro's production facilities and customers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, enabling them to deliver high-performance aluminium products for demanding markets like automotive.

Hydro's industry-leading global R&D and customer support network also includes in-house research scientists in Karmøy and Sunndalsøra, Norway, as well as partnerships with universities in the U.S. and Europe.

"Being part of Hydro's global R&D network is crucial for our work. We run year-long performance testing of our aluminium products to demonstrate compliance with the standards of leading automakers. Additionally, using the knowledge we have gained over decades in serving the automotive industry, we can use models that accurately predict the performance of aluminium products in new structural or crash management applications," added Dr Stig Tjøtta, Head of Technology for Hydro Aluminium Metal.

Hydro can produce over 2.2 billion pounds of recycled aluminium billets

With the Cassopolis recycling plant now operating at full capacity, Hydro can produce over 2.2 billion pounds of recycled aluminium billets each year in the U.S. Recycling scrap aluminium consumes only 5 per cent of the energy required to produce primary aluminium, significantly saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The expanded capacity will focus on substantial volumes of Hydro's proprietary HyCrush and HyBeam automotive alloys, made possible through the technical expertise of the HATC team. Hydro can also offer a variant of these alloys under the Hydro CIRCAL brand, which contains at least 75 per cent post-consumer scrap and boasts the lowest carbon footprint in the aluminium industry. Additionally, Cassopolis employs Hycast's proprietary LPC casting technology to enhance its capabilities in this market.